Decision makers

GEICO & KITTY HAWK NOT BIKER-FRIENDLY

Geico refuses to accept responsibility for mistakes made by an insured driver who injured a cyclist. Town of Kitty Hawk does not provide safe place for bikers to cycle to work or to cross over highway where sidewalk ends.

This petition is written on behalf of an international student, working on the Outer Banks of NC for the Summer. Below is his story:

I must use my bike for transportation, and I ride from Kill Devil Hills to work at Kitty Hawk. The traffic is incredibly heavy around 5 pm, and it is unsafe for me to cross the road near where I live.

The Town of KDH provides a sidewalk or bike trail on my side of the highway, but when I reach Kitty Hawk, I am forced into the road, facing traffic.

Since NC law requires that I must ride with traffic on the street, but doesn't provide a safe place to cross where the sidewalk ends, I must ride against traffic until I can reach a stoplight 1/4 mile ahead.

While riding my bike to work last week, I was hit by a truck turning right from a side street just after I entered Kitty Hawk where the sidewalk ends.

The driver was kind and did what he could to help, but his insurance company, GEICO, refused to pay for medical expenses for my broken bone or for my time lost from work.

Instead, the insurance company blamed me. Though the county failed to send a police to investigate when the driver called, an officer filing an operations report said he would have charged the truck driver with a moving violation.

Nevertheless, Geico refused to even agree to pay PART of the expenses.

Please let Geico know that bikers who act responsibly under the circumstances should be reimbursed by insurance companies who cover drivers who hit them. (CALL 1-877-314-5309 X 6065)

Please inform Geico and remind the Town of Kitty Hawk that bikers on the Outer Banks of NC face dangerous road hazards due to high traffic volume and are given few places to cross over to the legal side of the road.

Please tell the town of Kitty Hawk, NC, that their failure to either extend the sidewalk from Kill Devil Hills or provide a safe crossover where the sidewalk ends has contributed to this accident.

This petition was delivered to:

Norman "Skip" LordGeico Car Insurance Company

Mayor PerryTown of Kitty Hawk, NC

Letter to

Norman "Skip" LordGeico Car Insurance Company

Mayor PerryTown of Kitty Hawk, NC

I just signed the following petition addressed to: Geico Car Insurance Company & Town of Kitty Hawk, NC.

----------------Pay my bills and reimburse for loss of work

Geico refuses to accept responsibility for mistakes made by its insured drivers who injure cyclists. Town of Kitty Hawk does not provide safe place for bikers to cycle to work.----------------